Join Team Ed and support him as he fights cancer so he can focus on getting better instead of worrying about bills and paying for medical treatment. Hello, friends! Many of you know that I was in the hospital the week of November 17th but didn’t know why. I haven’t been broadcasting about it because even I didn’t know what was wrong with me. About 4 weeks ago I started to feel ill. I had a big meal with a friend and came away feeling way overstuffed. Usually this feeling goes away in a day or so, but this time it did not. I assumed it was stress, so I changed my diet and added fiber, but it didn’t help. I lost a lot of weight for a thin dude, and I thought I saw some other changes, but wasn’t sure. A friend recently confirmed it: my eyes and skin had turned yellow. I hadn’t gone to the doctor because I had no insurance. Earlier this year, I had applied for ACA (Obamacare) and was registered, but there was a glitch in the system and I got screwed out of enrolling completely. I was waiting to enroll on November 15th, but before I could, people with more medical knowledge than I said I should have already BEEN in the hospital. I went into the ER and was hospitalized for 4 and a half days. Originally it was thought that the problem was gallstones and bile backup from it, but after a couple days and lots of tests, the doctors discovered there was an anomaly on my pancreas. They said it could be something, or could be nothing. On Thursday afternoon, I got the expedited results. Cancer. Sure, it was a bit of a shock, but one of my doctors said (too offhandedly) that it was a possibility earlier in the week. I didn’t feel like I was doomed because it was identified and could be addressed. The oncologist had very encouraging news and said that because the cancer is small, is in an operarable location, and was caught early, things look very promising. What DID overwhelm me was the hospital billing department calling me - the DAY after my release - wanting to discuss the giant bill. Not only do I owe them for those 5 days, but I also have the treatment and days back in the hospital ahead of me! This has been a bad year for me as a freelancer. I never say that, but even though I put on the face of living an active, busy, creative life, the reality is that the work hasn’t been there, or has been low pay. Promises of work dried up or potential clients bawked when I gave them my reasonable rates. Job prospects usually involved a skill set entirely different from what I do. I’ve been up, but I’ve also been down in despair. I love what I do, and I’m good at it, but it hasn’t been enough. So now, in the darkest, most desperate hour of my life, I ask for your help. I have amazing friends, and they’ve formed “Team Ed.” They’re working behind the scenes to resolve the money issue, and that’s one place where you can certainly help. We are working on options to resolve it through insurance methods, but I’m still asking for your help to get me through the rest. All updates about my condition will be here at GiveForward, so please don’t call, text, or email me or contact my family or friends directly. Thanks for understanding. You can send hugs here: post comments, well-wishes, and bad jokes to your heart’s content. Most importantly you can donate here, ease the stress of a bad situation, which will help me focus on my recovery. I’m desperate to get my life back on track, and you are my hope. Thanks for reading, thanks for the support, and thanks for the love. It is appreciated, and won’t be forgotten. XO, Ed
